A blog by Luke Akehurst about politics, elections, and the Labour Party - With subtitles for the Hard of Left.
Just for the record: all the views expressed here are entirely personal and do not necessarily represent the positions of any organisations I am a member of.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Council by-election results

Last night's council by-election results:

Princes Ward, Dartford. Labour hold with a small net swing from Con to Lab. Good result in one of the key North Kent parliamentary marginals.

Oakley Vale Ward, Corby. Con hold with a 4.5% swing from Lab. Again in a parliamentary marginal.

Fortune Green Ward, Camden. LD hold with a swing to them from their Tory coalition partners, largely achieved by squeezing the Green vote. Labour vote stable. This is a safe LD ward in the new 3-way parliamentary marginal of Hampstead & Kilburn.

Highland Ward, Perth & Kinross. SNP hold with swing to second place Tories.

Earlier in the week control of Southampton City Council changed hands to a Labour/LD administration after the Tories failed to get their budget through.

There isn't a swing to the Tories in the national polls since the local elections last May. Looking at the polls taken just b4 last May's elections:

YouGov - Tory lead in May 6%, Tory lead now 6%.IpsosMORI - Tory lead in May 4%, Labour lead now 1%.Populus - Tory lead in May 8%, now 9%ICM - Tory lead in May 7%, now 3% ConRes - Tory lead in May 9%, now 8%

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About Me

Labour Party activist since 1988 - firmly on the moderate wing of the party. Member of Labour’s NEC 2010-2012. National Secretary of Labour Students 1995-6. Parliamentary candidate for Aldershot (2001) and Castle Point (2005). Hackney Councillor (Chatham Ward) 2002-2014, Labour Group Chief Whip 2002-09, Chair of Health Scrutiny 2010-2014. Supporter of Europe, NATO/nuclear deterrence, Israel, electoral reform. Guardian reader. Dad. Oxford resident. Unite union member. Employment history as a Labour Party Organiser, Local Government Political Assistant, Director at a Public Affairs company. All views expressed in a personal capacity. The rest will become evident from reading the blog.